as in pile
a quantity of wood heaped together for burning a dead body
a funeral pyre
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Recent Examples of pyre
Carcasses of trees are piled up like pyres in one; in another, they are laid flat like a mass grave.
—
Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Varanasi was quite an experience, seeing the funeral pyres.
—Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026
Thecla is stripped naked and placed on a pyre, but no flames touch her.
—Christy Cobb, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026
Flaked points of stone tools were also found on the pyre, suggesting the pointed stones were added during the cremation as funerary objects.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pyre
Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Varanasi was quite an experience, seeing the funeral pyres.
—Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026
Thecla is stripped naked and placed on a pyre, but no flames touch her.
—Christy Cobb, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026
Flaked points of stone tools were also found on the pyre, suggesting the pointed stones were added during the cremation as funerary objects.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pyre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pyre
Noun
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This dynamic creates a survival-of-the-fittest scenario where smaller companies — who can’t afford to sit on piles of unsold metals — might be forced into the arms of larger competitors.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
4 May 2026
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Venice is a city built on timber piles driven into mud more than a thousand years ago, its infrastructure both stubborn and fragile.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Pollack heaps praise on director Abbi Motlagh.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
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As the defending champion, The Pitt sits at the top of the heap.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
Noun
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In collaboration with the Robotics & AI Institute, the robot has been subjected to complex full-body motions—including dynamic locomotion, aerial maneuvers, and recovery from instability—to stress-test its software stack.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
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The other ingredients in Nara Smith’s TikTok recipe Beef tallow is the headline ingredient, but Nara Smith’s TikTok recipe leans on a stack of supporting ingredients that each play a specific role in skin hydration.—
Ryan Brennan
May 5,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 May 2026
Noun
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Each new hill brings a slightly different and powerful view of Martinez and its petroleum refinery infrastructure; farther in the horizon, like a mirage of an ivory city, shimmers a wind-turbine farm.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
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Outside, the layout opens up around a roughly 50-foot pool that stretches alongside a wooden deck with sweeping views of the hills and ocean.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
4 May 2026
Noun
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By 1890, the population of Los Angeles had nearly quintupled, and land speculation in the city’s outlying areas, from the coast to the mountains, was rampant.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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South Dakota Custer State Park Resort, Custer Four historic lodges plus a variety of cabins nestle among 71,000 acres of mountains at Custer State Park.—
Jess Hoffert,
Midwest Living,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pyre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pyre. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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